WINNIPEG, MB – On behalf of Edward Kennedy, President and CEO of The North West Company (NWC), David Lui, Director, Marketing Services for NWC announced a gift of $100,000 to establish a new endowment in support of The University of Winnipeg’s Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies (CRLS).
Today’s announcement was made at the Centre’s 2012 Rupert’s Land Colloquium and celebrates the first corporate gift to the Centre and the last corporate gift counted towards the University’s A World of Opportunity Capital Campaign. Lui surprised attendees by announcing a second pledge of current funds to support the immediate needs of the Centre over the next five years.
“As part of NWC’s ongoing commitment to education and to the northern communities in Canada we are very pleased to enter into this new partnership with The University of Winnipeg’s Centre for Rupert’s Land Studies. 2012 marks our 25th anniversary as an independent company and as we celebrate this milestone we also reflect on our direct link to the fur trade history in Manitoba and across the northwest,” says Kennedy. “The research conducted by the CRLS provides depth and context to the commercial relationships built with and within the communities we serve, with emphasis on a greater understanding of the more recent, 20th century developments.”
The $100,000 endowed fund was established to commemorate NWC’s anniversary as an independent retail enterprise serving remote and neighbourhood communities in Canada and internationally. Income from this fund combined with the NWC’s commitment to make annual gifts of current funds will ensure up to $5,000 is made available for a special CRLS project each year.
“The University of Winnipeg and NWC share common core values and I am extremely grateful for NWC’s interest in the work of the University and for their generous gift to the CRLS. This is a collaboration which results in an enhanced understanding of Manitoba’s rich history and advances our mutual commitment to community outreach,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Winnipeg.
The CRLS at The University of Winnipeg facilitates scholarly research and publishing concerning the human history of the Hudson Bay watershed, known in the period from 1670-1870 as Rupert’s Land. NWC’s rich heritage dates back to this same era and the days of the Montreal-based fur trade.
“On behalf of the faculty and staff who work in the CRLS, I am thankful for NWC’s generosity,” said Roland Bohr, Director, CRLS. “They are an ideal partner as much of the research we conduct at the CRLS overlaps with NWC’s long history of relationships in Rupert’s Land, the region where the roots of the NWC began, and where they continue to operate as a successful business.”
Special appreciation is extended to Dr H Sanford Riley, and all the individuals who have contributed their efforts to this exciting project.
